his voice, but
ph Jones’ name, or even
ou may not recognize Ste
del-turnedmo
the
his face. For years,
chances are you’ve seen
appearing in
,
line
g
hin
clot
ce
Eny
singer was the face of the
e.
billboards ads nationwid
numerous magazine and
his focus has
es his modeling career, as
s always came
Today, Steph rarely discuss
say
ive
nat
TX
,
City
ri
sou
the Mis
to sing ever
ng
shifted to music, a talent
tryi
n
bee
e
“I’v
never nurtured.
up in the
t
natural to him, but was
‘shu
of
fan
my mom was a big
since I was a little kid, but time I’d open my mouth she’d be like ‘Shut
ery
house,’” Steph laughs. “Ev
up!’”

Y

MISSOURI CITY, TX

success as his
school, but found even less
ents as his
So Steph sought refuge in
tim
sen
e
generally had the sam
teachers and classmates
ned my mouth. I
ope
I
as
n
soo
as
up
t
to shu
mother. “They’d tell me
my discipline slips
school for singing, and all
actually got kicked out of
s.
class,’” he add
said, ‘student disrupting
he truly could sing,
t Steph even discovered
It wasn’t until college tha
eding his craving
imp
was
t
tha
eer
deling car
sure in the back
but by then, it was his mo
I’m
er,
sing
a
someone I was
ures, boy. No one
to croon. “Anytime I told
pict
se
the
, shut up and take
of their mind they was like
s.
ent
took me serious,” he lam
ided to take
Three years ago Steph dec
d his dream
owe
foll
and
himself seriously
ntion of several
to sing, garnering the atte e. He soon
tim
labels in a short period of
e friends—or in
hav
to
ps
hel
it
t
tha
learned
ces. Steph’s
pla
h
hig
in
r
the
his case—a bro
Davis (of
ay
DeR
an
half-brother, comedi
non’s Wild’n Out
Can
k
Nic
and
p
sho
ber
Bar
improv comedy
fame), was hosting a live
e brother
littl
his
e
gav
show in LA, and
se his talents.
an opportunity to showca
telling jokes,
“[DeRay] was hosting and
up a comedian
ting
put
him
of
and instead
let me go up
to
d
use
he
s,
for five minute
up there and
go
just
every week. I used to
bers Steph.
em
rem
la,”
pel
cap
a
sing
the house; he
One night Ludacris was in
er’s a cappella
heard one of the Texas sing ressed. Five
ly imp
ant
inst
was
and
s
sion
ses
to New York with
months later, after a trip
is, Steph was
Dav
e
Cliv
Luda, Chaka, and
signed to DTP.
a and Disturbing
“I chose to sign with Lud
e the only label
wer
y
the
e
Tha Peace becaus
me,” says
nge
cha
that wasn’t trying to
wanted my sound
el
lab
er
oth
ery
“Ev
ph.
Ste
artist that’s on
to be like every other R&B
le puppetwho
the
into
not
the radio. I’m
artist thing.”
s sound is anything
True to his claims, Steph’
” is a term
ary
din
“or
but ordinary. But
much so that he
he readily embraces, so
ry and titled his
labeled himself Mr. Ordina
“I don’t travel
e.
sam
the
CD
g
forthcomin
create a certain
to
try
to
elf
outside of mys
,” he says. “And
me
to
sound that’s not true
um Mr. Ordinary,
alb
my
d
title
I
why
t’s
tha
r ordinary [self],
because when you are you
s comes out. It
nes
que
uni
that’s when the
r soul never
you
and
comes from the soul
//
.”
lies
cartel
www.myspace.com/carlos
Words by Eric N. Perrin